Rating: 
Summary: Edge of your seat thriller
Review: It is so refreshing to pick up a thriller that is not about spies, high-tech devices and espionage. This one had me turning pages faster than a speeding bookworm. Siegal takes a situation and compounds it to the point where you say, "He'll never get out of this one!" And it held my interest right to the very end.I would reccommend this book to anyone who's into a well-written, logical and suspenseful read. I very seldom go the distance and give out a full five stars to a book, but this one certainly deserves it. A must read!
Rating: 
Summary: Siegel "plagiarized" his own book!
Review: Like the 1965 Ford Mustang, Siegel's first novel, Special Circumstances, was a big hit. So, just like Ford, when Siegel decided it was time for the next book, he simply reworked a few lines on the original and passed it off as "New." It isn't -- at all. It's déjà vu. In the many hundreds of books I've had the pleasure of reading, I've never encountered such a transparent rewrite. My mistake, I suppose, was in ordering the two books at the same time and reading them back-to-back. If I'd had a couple of years "between books" like some of the reviewers, perhaps it wouldn't have been so noticeable. Maybe his later books use new plots, secondary characters, courtroom scenes, legal and evidentiary arguments, etc. I for one am unwilling to find out. Suggestion: read just one of his books and you'll love it; if you read two, it'll be like "Groundhog Day."
Rating:
Summary: Nick the Dick Returns!
Review: Mike and Rosie, ex-spouses and law partners, are called upon to defend Skipper Gates, the San Francisco D.A. whose campaign for Attorney General is complicated by his arrest for capital murder of a male prostitute in his hotel room following a political meeting. Gates is distressed to learn that he is going to be treated like an ordinary criminal, his explanation not believed by the police or even his subordinates. Mike faces problems at every step of the proceedings, but mounts the kind of defense reserved for either the delusional or truly innocent. Once again we are treated to the talents of Nick the Dick, the octogenarian private eye/mystery writer, who manages to work all sides of the fence while spinning tales of sandlot baseball with Joe DiMaggio ("He taught me how to hit and I taught him how to slide. He was better at sliding than I was at hitting"). Nick is such a great character because every trial lawyer knows him intimately- he is the quintessence of every old time gumshoe that somehow managed to deliver exactly what you wanted (usually with the admonition "Don't ask"). Sheldon Siegel has done a great job! I am looking forward to his next book.
Rating:
Summary: Mike Daley stars again...
Review: Mike Daley, the unique, ex-priest turned criminal attorney, is back for his second outing. Sheldon Siegel, a California attorney, made some people sit up and take notice when he published "Special Circumstances", in which he introduced Mike Daley. This San Francisco based novel is every bit as good as his first, which is saying a lot! One unique touch added by Siegel is his creative way of naming chapters, then giving a quote that would be taken from the fictional press at the time of his story. I particularly enjoyed Chapter 2, entitled "The A__hole Premium", accompanied by the quote "The Hall of Justice isn't a big tourist attraction"...from the SF Police Chief, in the SF Chronicle. Siegel creates a real whodunit, where no one is sure until the closing chapters. The way in which the truth is parsed and stretched out by Siegel's client, who admits to it only when there is another unimpeachable source, is excellent and realistic. "Skipper", the San Fransisco DA, who was introduced in the first novel, takes center stage, but this time as an accused murderer of a male prostitute. One appealing new character is "Nick the Dick" Hanson, an 80+ and colorful PI who is legendary in the state, not just for his investigative skills, but for the way he controls a courtroom when he enters it. Siegel takes us back and forth to court, interspersing his story with the dilemma of Mike and Rosie (his ex-wife) who are law partners and still deeply committed to each other, despite the divorce. A terrific novel, with great characterization, a compelling plot, and the promise of more good things to come in the series!
Rating:
Summary: Mike Daley stars again...
Review: Mike Daley, the unique, ex-priest turned criminal attorney, is back for his second outing. Sheldon Siegel, a California attorney, made some people sit up and take notice when he published "Special Circumstances", in which he introduced Mike Daley. This San Francisco based novel is every bit as good as his first, which is saying a lot! One unique touch added by Siegel is his creative way of naming chapters, then giving a quote that would be taken from the fictional press at the time of his story. I particularly enjoyed Chapter 2, entitled "The A__hole Premium", accompanied by the quote "The Hall of Justice isn't a big tourist attraction"...from the SF Police Chief, in the SF Chronicle. Siegel creates a real whodunit, where no one is sure until the closing chapters. The way in which the truth is parsed and stretched out by Siegel's client, who admits to it only when there is another unimpeachable source, is excellent and realistic. "Skipper", the San Fransisco DA, who was introduced in the first novel, takes center stage, but this time as an accused murderer of a male prostitute. One appealing new character is "Nick the Dick" Hanson, an 80+ and colorful PI who is legendary in the state, not just for his investigative skills, but for the way he controls a courtroom when he enters it. Siegel takes us back and forth to court, interspersing his story with the dilemma of Mike and Rosie (his ex-wife) who are law partners and still deeply committed to each other, despite the divorce. A terrific novel, with great characterization, a compelling plot, and the promise of more good things to come in the series!
Rating:
Summary: Captivating legal thriller
Review: San Francisco District Attorney Prentice "Skipper" Gates III held a campaign rally for his bid for reelection at the Fremont Hotel that ended late. He stayed at the hotel overnight only to wake up with a male corpse sharing his room. The police arrest Skipper for murder and he then calls Mike Daley, his former partner in the Simpson and Gates law firm to get him out of jail and defend him in such a way that this campaign and his future efforts at statewide office are not damaged. Besides courtroom rivals in recent years since Mike is a defense attorney, the duo had bad blood when they worked together. Still, a reluctant Mike accepts Skipper as a client though he feels the man is guilty or at least hiding something. As the prosecutors pursue a death penalty conviction, accompanied by his partner, his ex-wife Rosita Fernandez, Mike begins making inquiries throughout the Bay area to learn what went down that night. Sheldon Siegel brings back the effective legal team of Daley and Fernandez (see SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES) in another captivating legal thriller. The story line provides a wonderful tour of San Francisco inside a strong courtroom drama that enables readers to follow Mike's thought processes. The INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE against Skipper and his attitude makes Mike and Rosita's work much harder and this much more enjoyable for the reader. Sub-gene fans will want more tales from Mr. Siegel starring his dynamic duo, but perhaps Rosita can take the lead so that the audience can understand her thinking better from more of her perspective than that of Mike's. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Siegel Pens Another Winner
Review: Sheldon Siegel has followed his first novel, the successful SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, with another complex story that exceeds the boundaries of the typical legal thriller. Mike Daley, the ex-priest turned defense attorney who represented a friend accused of a double murder in SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, finds himself defending the arrogant and politically ambitious District Attorney, Prentice "Skipper" Gates who has been charged with murder in INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE. Gates, who is running for California Attorney General, denies the charge of murder but cannot explain why he awoke in his own hotel room with the dead body of a male prostitute in his bed. It is left to Daley to overcome his dislike for "Skipper" and construct an effective defense which will save him from the death penalty. The gifted Siegel lays the groundwork in the story similar to the way a talented attorney prepares a case for trial. The first part of the book introduces the many characters and their relationships to the accused and to each other. Once the trial begins, the pace of the novel accelerates until the jury announces it has reached a verdict. As the reader waits for the verdict along with the attorneys and the rest of the court, it is like the calm before the storm. What comes next is what makes Sheldon Siegel a fast-rising star and an author who should be on the "must read" lists of anyone interested in legal suspense. INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE is highly recommended
Rating:
Summary: Defending the DA
Review: Sheldon Siegel's second Michael Daley book has the San Franciso-based defense attorney in the unusual position of defending the city's District Attorney (and former law firm partner) on murder charges of a male prostitute. Daley is not highly convinced that his client is totally innocent, but works hard to punch holes in the prosecution team's charges in attempt to at least hang the trial jury. The defense team is a Daley family affair: his co-counsel partner is his ex-wife; the assisting PI is his brother; his brother-in-law provides invaluable assistance. Siegel manages to tie together a vast network of characters who Daley believes involved in the murder case, ranging from pimps, porn and drug dealers, crooked millionaire, conniving family members, and shady politicans and lawyers. The plot outcome may be too-nicely tied up and packaged for some readers, but the action in and out of the courtroom should satisfy readers who enjoyed the first Daley book.
Rating: 
Summary: Siegel Scores Big Again!
Review: Sheldon Siegel's second novel, Incriminating Evidence, is every bit as good as his very good first book, Special Circumstances; and he deserves to be placed in the top-tier of legal thriller writers. Siegel's characters are very well-developed -- particularly his continuing protagonist, Mike Daley, and his ex-wife and law partner, Rosie -- and the plot is fast-paced and bristles with energy. Siegel's ability to combine excitement, surprises, humor and suspense makes Incriminating Evidence a book that you won't want to put down. Without going into detail for fear of providing information which might weaken some of the story's suspense for you, the only thing that kept me from rating this book a '5' is that I felt slightly--and I emphasize 'slightly'-- disappointed in the ending. Nevertheless, Incriminating Evidence is a book I know you'll enjoy and will want to recommend to your friends.
Rating:
Summary: The Evidence Declares Siegel to be one fine writer!
Review: Siegel is back and better with Mike Daley in a new thrilling legal chase. Nobody tosses lines like Mike Daley,and Siegel has outdone himself this time with brilliant writing that maintains a steady captivating pace throughout the novel. Can't wait to read the next exciting chapter of Mike Daley's life.
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